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What Had Happened Was: 10/4/16

MINNEAPOLIS, MN – OCTOBER 3: Terence Newman #23 of the Minnesota Vikings tackles Victor Cruz #80 of the New York Giants in the first half of the game on October 3, 2016 at US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Hannah Foslien/Getty Images

GAME. BLOUSES.

Raise your hand if you thought the Minnesota Vikings would be this dominant and interesting without Adrian Peterson and Teddy Bridgewater. Us neither. Monday night, the Vikings improved to 4-0 and shut down the visiting New York Giants and their exceptional trio of wide receivers. We even had an enraged Odell Beckham Jr. moment. Check it all out:

#ICYMI

Social consciousness among black athletes is certainly not a new phenomenon nor one started by Brown. Injustice has never gone away but, for several decades, the response from athletes did. Before this recent reawakening of social consciousness among black athletes, there was once another time when it was common for black athletes to make a stand. In June 1967, Jim Brown called for some of the top black athletes, including Bill Russell and Lew Alcindor (who later changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), to a meeting to determine how strongly boxer Muhammad Ali stood behind his convictions as a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War. It was determined that Ali was sincere and the group gave its support to the heavyweight champion. Just like now, many arrogant detractors demanded that these athletes focus on their individual sport. But Brown, inspired by yet another transformative athlete in Paul Robeson, always professed that he was a citizen of this country first, and rights and responsibilities come with that. “Jim took an early position in his career on how he was going to be an African black man in the face of racism and white supremacy,”said Walter Beach, a teammate of Brown and a participant at the Ali Summit. “Prior to the Ali situation, he had demonstrated that on and off the field. It was Jim’s energy that led black athletes in this country to support Muhammad Ali.”

PICTURE PERFECT

Ryan Cortes is a staff writer for The Undefeated. Lemon pepper his wings.

Rhiannon Walker is an associate editor at The Undefeated. She is a drinker of Sassy Cow Creamery chocolate milk, an owner of an extensive Disney VHS collection, and she might have a heart attack if Frank Ocean doesn't drop his second album.